The present invention relates to balls used in recreational games such as baseball or softball and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a recreational ball that is of the same size but is softer than a conventional baseball and softball.
A standard regulation baseball, sometimes called a hardball, is a composite ball constructed of a cork and rubber core around which yarn is wrapped and a leather cover sewn. The hardness of a regulation baseball has long been recognized by the sporting industry as being dangerous and posing substantial safety problems. A so-called "softball" is in fact essentially a baseball of larger diameter than a regulation baseball. While the density of softballs is less than that of hardballs, softballs are still quite hard and pose safety problems for players, especially younger players. Both regulation baseballs and softballs have a leather cover which combines with the relatively hard or firm construction of the cores of the balls to produce a composite ball that is capable of seriously injuring a player.
Various alternatives to regulation baseballs and softballs, such as balls made from polyurethane foam, rubber, plastic, or the like have been manufactured. These have met with only limited success because the performance characterists of these substitutes have been substantially different from those of the balls that they have sought to replace. Additionally, the durability of such alternative balls has in many cases been less than desirable.
Attempts have previously been made to produce a sturdier composite recreational ball which would yet be safe and sting-free upon impact with a player. Typical of such prior attempts have been balls in which the conventional rubber and cork core of a regulation ball has been replaced by a rolled or folded cloth core that is held together by adhesive or cohesive tape and covered by a double knit polyester cover. In these balls, the combination of lower ball density; core softness, and a polyester cover produces balls that are less damaging when they strike a player.
Another ball construction that has now come into use provides a urethane foam core wrapped with adhesive tape and encased in a nylon cloth covering. Such a ball is said to have durable construction but with limited flight characteristics and is said to be suitable for indoor use while minimizing risk of damage to property or injury to person.
All of these alternate ball constructions, however, require expensive materials and are quite complex to manufacture. The resultant balls are therefore expensive. Various other difficulties have also been experienced with all the conventional replacements to the standard baseball and softball.
Among these are the fact that the abovementioned types of balls are not sturdy and become lumpy or out of round when hit with a bat. Additionally, the tape-wrapped balls mentioned above are unsightly since such wrapping produces noticeable valleys and ridges under their covers instead of a smooth outer surface. These valleys and ridges are visible even through the ball's cloth covering. Also, tape wrapping adversely affects the roll characteristics of the ball somewhat.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved game ball which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.